Super Saturday PK3 Contest – Racing Factions

Saturday marks the second-biggest Kentucky Derby prep day of the season, featuring the $1 million Florida Derby, $750,000 Louisiana Derby and the $2 million UAE Derby. Play in our Pick Three Contest and win some cool prizes.

These races are the first to offer 100 points to the winner toward Derby qualification under Churchill Downs’ three-year-old selection system, but second place (40 points) also virtually guarantees a spot in the 20-horse field, and even third place (20) puts a horse in very good position, especially if it already possesses a few points.

The Derby field will come into much sharper focus in the next two weeks, including the trio of $1 million races on April 4 – Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass (moving from three to four weeks out and on dirt for the first time since 2006), California’s Santa Anita Derby and New York’s Wood Memorial. There will be one major prep left after that, the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11. Also that day is the final points race, with Keeneland’s Coolmore Lexington worth 10 points to the winner.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s action:

Florida Derby: The focal point will be the rematch between Upstart andItsaknockout. Upstart crossed the wire in front by 2 ¾ lengths in Gulfstream Park’s $400,000 Fountain of Youth but was disqualified for impeding Itsaknockout, who was promoted from second to the victory to stay officially unbeaten in three starts.

Louisiana Derby: The core of the field comes out of the $400,000 Risen Star, including victorious International Star, runner-up War Story and third-place Keen Ice. They’ll be joined by Mr. Z, rerouted from Arkansas’ Rebel because of the presence of American Pharoah (who indeeded won the race), with both colts owned by Zayat Stables. Mr. Z has yet to win a stakes but has four seconds and three thirds in nine stakes appearances since winning his first start.

UAE Derby: The favorite likely will be Mubtaahij, winner of Meydan’s Al Bastakiya. The UAE Derby is the one Derby qualifying prep open to horses who aren’t eligible to the American Triple Crown. Those are Southern Hemisphere-born horses, who are considered 4-year-olds in the Northern Hemisphere. But if a true 3-year-old such as Mubtaahij wins, the results figure to be more relevant to the Kentucky Derby because Meydan has returned to dirt this year from a synthetic surface.

American-based My Johnny Be Good traveled to Dubai off an eighth-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby. Said trainer Eoin Harty, who used to train in Dubai: “In my opinion he was short a workout heading into that race, and he ran like he was short.”

Late nominations: Monday at midnight was the deadline for horses to be made eligible to the Triple Crown for $6,000. The list is to be announced Tuesday afternoon. Also this week is the final of four pools for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.